Box-fastener



UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS O. DIOKERMAN, OF ROYALTON, VERMONT.

BOX-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,500, dated November 1, 1898.

Application filed January 12, 1398.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEWIS O. DIOKERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Royalton, in the county of Windsor and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Box-Fasten ings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a f ull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in fastenings for packages or boxes. It is especially adapted for use on boxes for packing and shipping butter.

The object I have in View is to provide a simple, economic, and eifective means for fastening the top on the box or package, which fastening means serve as hinges and permit the ready attachment and removal of the cover.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand my invention, I have illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, referring to which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention applied to a package or box. Fig. 2 is an end view showing one of the fastenings in its raised unlocked position, while the other is bent over the top to securely fasten said top to the body of the box. Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing a means of retaining the locking means in the box.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings, referring to which A designates the top of the box, B the side,-

and O the end wall thereof. At the joint between the end wall 0 and the side wall B, I place my locking device, which consists of a preferably fiat ductile piece of metal D, which can be readily secured between the walls B C, so that the package will present a neat appearance, and said strip is preferably fastened by driving the nail I) through the side B and the strip D into the end wall 0. The

Serial No. 666,461. (No model.)

ductile metal being quite thin or soft will readily permit the nail to punch through the same into the adjoining wall. Thus no par ticular adjustment is necessary in applying my improvement to ordinary boxes.

The top or lid of the box A has suitable kerfs or slits a, preferably running with the grain of the wood and extending from the edges inwardly a suitable distance, into which is passed the ductile metal strip D. By having the kerfs extend inwardly from the edge the top can easily be removed by simply freeing the cover from the strips D at one end of the box and then drawing the top from under the strips at the opposite end of the box.

It will be noted that the top or lid can be easily removed or applied, also that the strip holds the top securely in place, and that said strip is not in the way when packing or shipping the package.

The strips can be so arranged that they will serve as hinges. For instance, by raising the strips on one side and allowing the strips on the opposite side to remain fastened the top can be raised, and the fastened strips serve as hinges for the top. This feature will also prevent the top from becoming lost or misplaced.

The device is simple, cheap, and durable.

My improved means for fastening covers do not require the employment of any special tool in removing the cover, and at the same time the removal of a cover involves an amount of service which will prevent such ready access to the box as to avoid the temptation to unlawfully tamper with the contents of the box.

It is evident that slight changes in the construction of parts can be made by a skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A box comprising the walls, the flat ductile strips fitted between the abutting faces of the walls and having their upper ends extended beyond the upper edges of said walls, and a cover provided near its corners with longitudinal kerfs through which are passed the projecting ends of the ductile strips, said strips being bent over the edges of the cover to detaehably fasten the latter in place on the box, and two of the strips on one side of the box serving as a hinge for the cover upon the release of the other strips and movement of the cover in a vertical plane, substantially as described. 10

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS O. DICKERMAN. Witnesses:

ARTHUR G. WHITHAM, CHARLES P. TARBELL. 

